Where Scars Belong
by Ghostwriter9396
Summary: When a blind girl is accedently transported to Anahime it is up to the ducks to get her back. But does she want to go back? And as they get closer, does she and Duke realize they have more in common then just a busted eye? Rated M for abuse... plz R
1. Heroes

**Hey again! So... I didn't get as many reviews from the last story as I would've liked... actually I only got two from the same person... which was still nice, but... I need feedback people so please please PLEASE comment and give your HONEST opinion on my work... 'kay?**

**Okay, a few things before the story starts. **

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 1: Heroes

I looked around in fear. Where was I? One minute I was walking down the street, trying to pass my mobility class... then I was flying through some blue vortex. Now all I could make out was that I was sitting on something cold and metalic. I stood up and tried my best to examine the red interior of what I was able to gather was some sort of space ship.

"Well, well." a cold voice said. I took a step back as a huge dragon, or dinosaur like creature came towards me. He was tall and held himself up like the way a high-athority figure would. I narrowed my eyes.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

"You weren't exactly what I wanted, but I can still use you to my advantage." He turned to three figures behind him. I could make out a green lizard looking guy, a dude the size of a bolder with what looked like teeth protruding from all over his face, and another tall figure. He wasn't as tall as the first guy, but he still had a sence of power about him.

"Take our guest to the first holding chamber. Then send a message to those anoying heroes." the leader said softly. I stared as the green guy morphed into a tall soldier. He gave a salute and in an imitation of a cadet shouted, "EYE-EYE SIR!"

"Knock it off ya little creep." the toothy bolder guy snaped at him. He walked over and grabbed my arm. "Fallow us Sweetheart."

I yanked my arm away. "I don't require you holding me. I can walk on my own thank you." I was scared and more then slightly pissed. It looked like to me that these freaks were going to try and use me as bate. Well, I might be partially blind, but I sure as hell wasn't helpless. After all, I've had to fend for myself, fight my own battles, right from the git go. I was used to slaying my own dragons, and I learned a long time ago that there were no such things as heroes. Plus, if anyone was going to be foolish enough to try and rescue me, they'd only get themselves hurt.

I fallowed the bahemath as he led me, grumbling something about fisty little kids giving him the urge to hit something, to the holding cell where they planed on locking me up. Yeah right, as if I was going to let it be that easy. I wasn't going down with out a fight. As soon as we cleared the main room, and was about half way down the hall, I ran for it.

Looking back, I can't tell you how I managed to escape. All I remember is running through halls and trying every door I came to that looked like it would be a possible exit, while those creeps tried to get at me. As if they could. I wasn't the fasted kid in the world, but I sure as hell knew how to get away from people I didn't want near me. Again, another useful trick I aquired as a result of my misserable past.

All at once, I was running down a street and dodging into a crowd of people. I only stopped when I ran head long in to someone.

"Sorry." I muttered, clutching the back of my head as I picked myself up from the concrete. "My bad."

"Hey no worries." a rather fat man said cheerfully, helping me regain ballance. "Not hurt are you?"

"Just my pride." I muttered.

"Looked like you were in a hurry. Going somewhere?"

"No where in particular. Just so long as it's this way." I said, pointing straight ahead of me. Then I dodged around him and ran for it before he could ask any more inquisitive questions. I rounded a corner and then finally decided I was safe. For now.

As I took a few deep breaths trying to regain my normal heart rate, I took a look around. It didn't look like I was any where different. At least, it still looked like I was in the US. I shook my head. My long bangs that concealed my right eye shifted a little and I immideatly put my hand up to make sure that my eye wasn't visible. Flattening my hair over my face, I started walking again.

I hadn't gotten two blocks however, when all of a suden I heard this loud noise behind me. Feeling that something was comming up fast I lept to the side, narrowly avoiding a net that had been blasted at me.

"WHAT THE?" I shouted as I saw a huge vehicle swerve the corner, the little green guy popping out of a sun roof holding a blaster.

"Come here you little brat!" he shouted as he aimed and fired again.

I again dodged the net and started running as fast as I could. These guys just wouldn't give up.

I heard another vehicle screetch to a hault and turned to the road, which I should mention was on my blind side. A white car had skidded to a stop and started firing blue darts at the car chaising me. The little green guy gasped and ducked as one of the darts zoomed straight for his head.

"Lets get outa here!" I heard him shout as the car turned around and sped off in the oposite direction, away from me.

I turned and watched them go as six figures got outa the white car that had come to my rescue.

"Are you alright?" a tall, well built man asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Thank y..." I broke off the moment I saw him. He wasn't a man, though we was built like one. He was a _duck!_

"Ummm... nice comstume, but I don't think Halloween's for another two months." I said looking at him and his team. All of them were ducks.

"Hey, haven't you ever heard of us?" a girl duck with red hair asked looking at me curiously. I shook my head.

"Must not be a hockey fan." a blonde duck, obviously another femaile, sniffed.

"I'm not any kind of sports fan." I told her.

"But you must have at least heard of us through the news. I mean, we've been saving this planet from distruction for at least a year." a grey duck said. He had a pony tail and an eye patch over his right eye. Was he hiding the same thing I was?

"Look, I'm not from here. Sorry to offend your egos." I snapped. I wasn't going to trust anyone here, least of all six walking, talking mallords.

"Well there's appriciation for ya." stated another blonde duck, this one male. "I mean, what's the point in saving people, when they just don't have any thanks for it?"

"What do you mean you're not from here?" the first duck asked me.

"I mean, some red dino dragged me here. I don't know. All I know is one minute I'm walking down Down Town Richmond, then I'm in some weird space ship thingy like I was suddenly casted as a lead role in Star Treck the Next Generation."

"But, why would Dragonis want you, little friend?" a huge grey duck standing in the background asked, looking at me curiously.

"Like I know? I heard him say something about me not being what he wanted, but that he could still use me to his advantage. He was going to have his buddies lock me up and then send some _heroes_, I'm assuming he was talking about you lot, some message." I said.

"Do you mind comming with us? We can keep you away from him and hopefully find a way to get you back home." the first duck, I'm guessing he was the leader, said. I thought about it. They didn't seem dangerous, and maybe I could use their help keeping those freaks off my tail. I shrugged. "Just don't try anything funny and I guess there's no harm."

"Deal." we shook hands. Or rather, I shook a feathered version of a hand. It was weird.

"So, what's your name?" the blonde dude asked. He sounded like some surfer dude, and he looked younger then the others.

"Polly." I said. I wasn't going to give them my real name.

"Nice to meet you Polly, I'm Wildwing." the leader indroduced himself and then his team. "And that's my baby brother Nosedive." he indicaded the blonde surfer dude. "Mallory." he pointed to the red head. "Tanya." he pointed to the female blonde. "Grin." he turned to the big guy. "And Duke." he pointed at the dude with the eye patch and pony tail. They all said hi and we piled into the car.

"So, Polly, you don't like sports?" Nosedive asked, turning in his seat to look at me. I was sitting with my hands in my lap, head slightly bent down. I didn't make eye contact with any of them, like I really could any ways. I shook my head. "I like playing them, but I don't really like watching them."

"What's your favorite sport to play?" he asked.

"Nosedive, lay off." Mallory said.

"It's okay. I... I like skating more then anything." I said slowly. I couldn't see the harm in confersing with them. They obviously didn't seem like they were going to hurt me.

"Really?" he said. "Then you're going to love where we're going!"

I raised my head and looked at him. "Why?"

"It's an ice rink." Wildwing explained. We kinda live there.

_Figures. _I thought.

When we arrived I stared as they led me to the locker rooms where a giant elevator was. When we exited it, we came out into an underground... well, there was no other word for it... 'headquarters'. There was a main room where they kept treasures from all their past battles, a large computer that they called Drake 1, and then branch rooms that served as bed rooms, living room and kitchen. I was, needless to say, stunned. We had nothing like this in my own... world.

"Unbelievable." that was all I could say.

"You must be tired. You can have my bunk." Wildwing said, leading me to his room. I looked at him. Now that I stood a little closer, I could see that his face wasn't golden, as I originally thought. But rather, he was wearing a golden mask. I nodded. Until he mentioned it, I wasn't really that aware of how tired I really was. I looked at my watch. It had been 1:30pm when I arrived in this twisted place, now it was 4:45pm.

"Thank you." I said, and fallowed.

"Ow!" I couldn't help it, that corner hurt. I put my hand over the bridge of my nose as I quickly tried to correct my mistake, but the damage was done.

"Are you okay there, kid?" Duke asked running up to me.

"Err... yeah. I'm fine, just..."

"You should not be ashaimed of holding back any weaknesses. It is that which appear to weaken us that actually make us stronger." Grin said. I stared at him.

"Uh, yeah. Right." I said.

"Do not try and hide your disability." he said, trying to make his meaning a little more plain.

"What disability?" I snarled.

"You are nearly blind." he said simply. He didn't ask, he didn't sound like he was guessing, he stated it, it was a fact.

"So what if I am? That's no disability, it's a..."

"Down tiger, we're not criticizing, are we?" Duke said, his hands on my sholdiers turning me in the right direction. I shrugged him off.

"No, and thank you but I can make it by myself now." I was imbarrased that Grin and the others were able to see my wound so easily. My mind turned to the reason I had that wound in the first place and a wave of hot boiling anger swept over me.

"You must make peace with yourself, or that which you hold on to will distroy you." Grin told me as I walked away, fallowing Wildwing.

"Does he always talk like that?" I asked him as he led me to his room.

"You get used to it." he reasured me.

"I hope I'm not here long enough too." I replied. Wildwing paused and turned to me.

"Believe me when I say that each and every one of us knows exactly how you feel about this. And believe me when I also say that things happen for a reason. Maybe you were ment to be sent here."

"Yeah, right." I said.

"Polly..."

"You guys aren't really superheroes, are you?" the question was out before I could stop it. But I didn't want to take it back after I said it either.

"No, not _supperheroes_, just _heroes_." he explained.

"Yeah, right." I said again.

"Is that so hard to beleive?" he asked.

"There's no such thing as heroes." I told him. "That's all fairy tale nonsence."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. By now he had taken off his mask and I could just make out that he had a nice face. Well, nice for a duck at any rate.

"Trust me on this one. It's all just a bunch of bed time story smutt that you dream of then when you need it the most, nothing."

Wildwing pushed open the door to his leff and waved me in. "Here you are. I hope you change your mind, Polly. Heroes are sometimes just in fairy tale books, but they can also be real too." And with that, he closed the door behind me. I walked over to the bed and sat down. _Heroes, real. Yeah that'll be the day. _I thought, kicking off my shoes and laying down. I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes. _Well, even if they aren't heroes, it looks like I managed to get myself mixed up with a pretty decent bunch of birds at any rate._ Then, I drifted into an uneasy sleep.

**Okay like I said... sets the scene... kinda slow... next chapter is too but at the end of that one things start to speed up... I hope... just R&R please! and don't stop... it does get better! **


	2. Realization

**So... yeah, this chapter isn't too bad. But it doesn't truly get interesting until the end, sorry. But I think it still flows pretty well. Let me know!**

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 2: Realization

"Polly?" a voice woke me. I sat up, trying to remember the dream I had had. Something about being captured by dinos and rescued by six ducks who tried to convince me that heroes were real. _What in the world brought that on? _I wondered as I rubbed my left eye and tried to get my barings.

"Polly? Can I come in?" I didn't recognize the voice. Or did I? It sounded farmilar, but I couldn't place it.

"Err..."

"It's Mallery."

_Mallery? Wasn't that the name of one of the... _

"Yes?" I said, more of a question then an answer.

The door opened and the red haired femail duck stepped into the room. I stared. _So it wasn't a dream. _

"Are you okay?" She asked looking worried about me.

"Yeah, just... still a little sleepy. What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong. I just wanted to tell you that we were going to go out for dinner and woundered if you wanted to come with us." She looked uneasy.

I glanced at my watch which told me in huge lit up numbers, that it was 7:05pm. I thought about turning her down and rolling over and going back to sleep, but then my stomach growled so lound that she gave a small smile.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'?" she said.

I nodded reluctantly and swung my legs out to put on my shoes. Before I left the room, I made the bed. Mallery stared at me.

"I don't want him to come to a messy bed tonight. That wouldn't be pollite." I explained. Even though I couldn't see expressions, I've always been able to sense what a person was thinking, more or less any ways.

"He's letting you stay in this room until you go back." She told me.

"I can't take his room."

"It's okay. Nosedive has bunks in his room so Wildwing's going to crash with him. Honestly, its fine." she assured me. And when I gave her a desperate, guilty look, she walked over and put an arm around my neck. "Polly, he doesn't mind. Honestly, you care so much about the smallest things; what we would think about your blindness, kicking someone out of their room. Don't you ever think of what's best for you?"

I winced. This duck read me like a book. It was true, I never gave a thought of what was best for me half the time, if other people were happy, even though I felt sorry for myself alot, I was content that they were pleased. And hiding my blindness... well, lets just say I haven't yet accepted that myself, and I didn't want to appear helpless or a burden... so...

"Come on." she led me out of the room and down the hall to the living room area. Duke was sitting in a chair, legs over one of the arms, hands behind his head, his visable eye closed. It looked as if he was asleep, that is until we walked in and he said without opening his eye, "How ya feel'n kid?"

"Fine, thanks." I muttered.

He nodded slightly. He was kinda creepy I concluded.

Wildwing and Grin were on the coutch watching TV. Both of them glanced at me as I walked in. I know because their heads turned in my direction and then flitted back to the telivision set. Tanya was in another chair oposite Duke, fiddiling with some small, whatever. And Nosedive was propped up on his elbows, chin in hands, lying on the rug, reading.

"Polly! Sleep well?" He said looking up at me.

"Err... yeah, thanks." I muttered.

"Ready to go?" Wildwing asked, and Mallery nodded. All of them were in there 'casual' clothes. All except Duke who seemed to whear his one-piece marune suit no matter what he was doing, fighting crime or going to the food store.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"There's a little resteraunt just around the corner called Bannito's. We're meeting our manager there." Mallery explained.

"Who's your manager?"

"Oh, you'll love him girl!" Nosedive said. "Real charmer!"

I stared but then shrugged. "We'll see." I said.

When we reached the resteraunt, it became clear to me why the ducks found it strange that I didn't know them. Practically every kid ran up to them and got an autograph from their favorite team member. Wildwing and Mallery seemed to be the most famous.

After we fought our way through the crowd of fans, we sat at a table in the back where a very farmilar fat guy with a pony tail sat waiting for us. I tried to remember where I'd seen him before.

"Boobalas! At last! And..." he broke off when he saw me. "Oh, hi again!"

As he flashed a cheesy smile I finally realized where I'd seen him. He was the poor annoying sap I had ran into on the streets. _I guess it just goes to show that no matter where you are in the cosmos, you really are in a small world._ I thought shaking his hand and then choosing to sit between Wildwing and Duke.

While everyone glanced at their menues, I sat pollitely. One leg crossed over the other, hands in lap, head bent down. It was Duke who finally realized why I was just sitting there.

"Oh, sorry, kid. What would you like? This place has every thing Italian you can think of."

The others, except the manager who's name was Phil, looked embarrassed and I could sense Mallery and Grin were looking at me like _You should've said something. _

I felt my cheeks burn as I asked a little more quietly then I entended, "Do they have pizza?"

"You better believe it girl!" Nosedive said brightly. "We can split one if you want, but there can't be anything on it except cheese and peperoni." He was sitting on the oposite side of the table, facing me. I decided it couldn't hurt to share a pizza with him, and besides he seemed to share my idea that cheese and occasionally peperoni was all that a pizza needed. I nodded.

"Well that was easy enough." Tanya said. "You'll fit right in, Polly." I gave her a weak smile.

In answer to Phil's questioning glance, Wildwing explained how I was captured by Dragonis, exaped, and needed to get home.

"Oh, so you're baby sitting her?" he had said the wrong thing. I did my best to keep my composer, but after everything else that had happened, yeah, it didn't work out too well.

"I don't need a baby sitter." I said a little sharply. Duke put a hand on my sholder.

"Hey, hey of course not. He just meant, we're helping you stay out of Dragonis's claws." he said trying to calm me down.

"Err... yeah. That's all I meant." he said, looking a little nervous at my reaction.

I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. "I'm sorry." I muttered. "I've just... had a rough day."

"Yeah, I've heard." he said. "So, do you have any special tallents?"

I stared at him for a moment before answering. "Depends on what you've got in mind. But if it's... exotic tallent you're after... forget it."

"Phil..." Wildwing said warningly. "No."

"Wildwing, Baby! You haven't even let her..."

"No." Wildwing said a little more fermly.

Just then our waiter came over, stoping me from asking what they were talking about.

I was extremely pleased to find out that this place had, what I concidered nector of the gods, ROOTBEER! I was plaining on getting coke or pepsi, or maybe even mountain dew... anything with caffeen since that stuff has the same effect on me as alcohall does on 'normal' people, but I decided against it. I knew better then drowning my troubles in a glass of caffeen, especially mountain dew. Plus, these guys had been way too kind to me for me to repay them by making them take care of a super-hyper girl who would go off the walls, then get a splitting head ache, then have to crash for 24 hours... or longer. No, I decided that sticking with good old rootbeer was the best way to go. Plus, it would help me keep my wits about me... that... and it had been almost 15 hours since I had had a rootbeer and I was long over due.

After we ate, and after the ducks said 'no' to half of Phil's 'publisity scams', we headed out. I now knew what Phil meant by asking if I had any 'tallents'. He wanted to try and use me as a proffitable gold mind just like he was trying to use the ducks. I could not express my graditude for Wildwing standing up for me. In order to express true graditude, you have to be willing to trust that the person who you are thanking will be there for you, is your friend... and I just can't open myself up like that.

When we got back to the ice rink, which was called The Pond, it was a little after 8:00pm.

"Hey, Polly!" Nosedive called out. "You wanna skate around the rink a little... maby play a little one on one?"

I thought about it. Slamming a puck into the net would help get rid of some frustration... for a while. It might be a good anger management technique so I didn't unexpectedly explode at my new found... aquaintences.

"Why not." I agreed.

"Cool!" he said and ran off to fetch some skates. I stood there bemused, counting to three. As soon as I hit three, he poped his head in the door and asked what my size was. I couldn't supress a small smile as I told him, "7", and he ran out again.

"Over here, Polly. I'll get you a good sized stick to use." Wildwing said. "Tanya, check to see if Dragonis's goons have made any movement."

"Right, on it!" She replied, heading over to Drake 1.

After I was suited up for a small, one on one, game with Nosedive, who seemed to be taking a small interest in me for some reason, we headed out on to the ice. Duke, Mallery, and Grin fallowed us to whatch.

As I stepped out on to the slippery ice, I almost lost my ballance at once. I quickly grabbed the side. I could feel my cheeks burn again as I tried to look like I knew what I was doing. Did I forget to mention that when I said "skating" earlier, I meant inline skating, not ice skating.

"Wow, you okay?" Nosedive asked, skating over to me.

"Yeah, just, haven't been on in a while, that's all."

"You look like you haven't been on the ice, ever." said Mallery. I must have looked like I was going to collapse at any moment cause she, Duke, and Grin had all run to me as well.

"No, no. I've been on the ice before." I reasured her. _Once, about five years ago. _I finished in my head.

"Why don't we just skate around for a little bit, try and get you used to ice skating before we start playing." Nosedive sugested. "You look like you could really use some practice, no offense."

"Alright, fine with me." I said. I decided I wasn't in a possition to argue. The moment I tried skating out in to the center of the ice, WHAM! Flat on my knees, then toppled over onto my side. I skidded a little ways before I was able to get up into a crawling possition. Though the ice was freezing to the touch, I was extremely hot under the collar as I stumbled, trying to pick myself up. I could feel my eyes sting with tears. _Oh no you don't. _I told myself. _Not here. _But I knew I couldn't hold it back. I allowed Nosedive to help me up and lead me back over to where the others were. I sat down and took my skates off.

"I'll try later, I need to go lay down." I muttered, then ran to the elevator. Again, I have a trait that some might find extremely surprising for a blind kid, I have a photographic memory, to a certain extent. But it covers the layouts of buildings perfectly. I can still remember the exact detailing of the first house I'd ever lived in, and I haven't lived there in over 12-13 years. Not since I was 5. I ran passed Wildwing and Tanya who were examining Drake 1, looking for any sign of the big dragon/dino thing that had brought me to this stupid place. I barely registered them calling after me. I didn't stop until I reached the room Wildwing was kind enough to let me have. I closed the door behind me and slid down the wall behind it, sobbing, my hand pressed over my mouth to muffle my cries. But it was a fruitless attempt. The door opened and Duke and Grin came in. Those two were the ones who seemed to really want to make sure I was okay. Or maybe they were the only two who felt comfortable with comforting me. I don't know. All I knew was that Grin had picked me up by the sholders and sat me on the bed. Then the two boys sat on eather side of me, Duke putting an arm around me.

"Hey, hey it'll be alright, Polly." he said soothingly as I cried into my knees which I had brought up to my chest, hugging them to me. After all, they were the only farmilar things that I could hug. Grin spoke next, and what he said made me cry more, but because it prooved just how bad I was at hiding myself.

"This is not just about being dragged from your world. You are conflicting with a life style you have grown up with. I sense much hurt within you, little friend. But if you let us in, we can help you."

I looked at him and he seemed to understand. "Ah, but that is what you are struggling with, isn't it." I nodded.

"Polly, you can trust us. We're not going to hurt you." I looked up. Wildwing stood infront of me, and he wasn't alone. Nosedive, Mallery, and Tanya all stood behind him.

"Yeah, come on girl, we'll get ya back home." Nosedive said. But that was only partly concerning me. And the conflictions I had with in me weren't just trying to let these guys in. I was a little scared of going back home, and it had just hit me when Nosedive had spoken up. I cried, if possible, even harder.

Duke looked at me, then sqeezed my sholders gently. I raised my head again to look at him and he tried to brush my hair away from my face, but I stoped him. I was sobbing to hard to speak, so I just shook my head violently, which unfortunately shifted my bangs. I instantly put my hand over my eye. It was then that I sensed Duke had come to some sort of understanding. I burried my face in my knees again as he asked if he could speak with me alone. In other words he was jostling the others out. I heard Grin say something, but was too busy crying to really make out what it was, and Duke replied a little sharply, "No, I have to talk to her alone. I think I finally realized her problem. But I don't think she has."

When I heard the door close, I looked up, Duke and I were alone, and he was kneeling infront of me, close enough so that I could make out the look of empethy, understanding, and _effection? _

_**I said in the warnings and I'll say it again... NO LOVE INTEREST! **_

**__****So... what's her problem? Besides letting them in? It kinda sounds confusing now that I'm re-reading this... but I'm hoping I made it a little more plain as the story goes on. please R&R!**


	3. Scars to Share

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**THIS CHAPTER HAS SUBJECT OF ABUSE! **

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 3: Scars to Share

I whipped my eyes, trying to gain control as he stared at me intently.

"Polly, let me see your eye."

That stopped me crying for a second. I looked at him.

"W-what?" I hicuped.

"Please?"

I just sat there, starring at him. He siged a little and then reached up and fliped his eye patch up. I gasped. His eye... was like mine... sort of. His two lids were closed together, sealing his eye shut was a small, diagnal scar that ran from the top right corner of his eye to the bottom left.

"Now, its your turn." he said softly.

I started crying again, but put my hand under my bangs and lifted them up. He looked at my now exposed face and looked shocked and sad. My two lids were closed too, but I didn't have a scar, unless you counted the scar tissue that held my eye shut. No tears fell from it. Of course they wouldn't, that eye was completely and uterly dead. No vision, no tear ducts, no nothing. You could open it with your hand if you really wanted to, but all you would see is white, as if a thick fog had taken over it; not even the color of the iris visible.

I cried even harder as he took my hands, both of them, in his; letting my bangs fall down. "How?" he asked. But I shook my head.

"I lost mine with a blade." he was volenteering his information, and I knew why. He didn't really expect me to respond. He just wanted to show me that I wasn't alone. "Polly, I know what's wrong. Do you?"

I shook my head. I had never known why I felt the way I did. So misserable, issolated, no matter where I went or who I was with. It just never made sense to me. I figured it was a lot of things, but what did I know.

"You're afraid, angry, and probably hate a person or two so much, you can't do anything but think of them, even though you wish they'd just disapear so you wouldn't have to worry about them." How did he know?

"I know exactly what you're feeling right now. Issolation, confusion, you probably are wondering if it's even worth trying to get back. You can't think of anyone who would be happy to see you, after all, you were always the out cast. No matter how much you tried, no one let you be you, they saw you, and judged you right off."

"H-how do y-y-you kn-know?" I said whipping my eyes again.

"I know, because I feel the same way." he said.

"I've never been apart of anything." I said, my voice, meracualisly had steadied. Then I shook my head. "Why should I believe you? How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Look at my scars." He said. "They tell a story you know. And the one's that you can't see, are the one's that stay with you forever."

I knew what he meant. The scars that you could only feel, they never go away, even if phisical ones sometimes do.

I nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"I was put into a bad possition as a kid. My mom died when I was three, and my dad... he was a drunk. We lived in a bad part of town, it was rough. I was beat up everywhere I went, school, park... home." he stopped. I could tell he was thinking of painful memeries. "I have so many places where I was hurt, and by so many people. Including my father." he spat out the last word as if it was a bad word. "He was actually the worst of them all. I wont tell you all that he did, but I'm sure you know how someone in a druken rage can get."

I nodded. I knew a little of how a druken person could act. My own father had gotten a little bad when he got drunk, nothing like Duke's father, but... he would yell and rant so bad I some times wonder if it would've been easier on everyone if he just hit people around when he got waisted like every other dead beat.

"When I was 13 I was picked up by the Brotherhood of the Blade, a well organized gang in my town. They had seen my special tallents from the time I was 10 when I committed my first shop lift. A hockey puck I really wanted but couldn't afford. They had kept an eye on me for three years, watching me improve my 'skills' as I grew. They finally approached me and asked if I wanted to join. I did. When I got home and my father saw my saber on my sholder, he grabbed it. He was already drunk, and he was pissed that I had joined up with them. He took it, and gave me this nice little reminder of how disgusted he was and how worthless he thought I was. So, I ran away that night. I went to the emergancy room, got my eye tended to, then stayed at the gang's secret headquarters. I thought, since I was in a gang, I would finally be excepted amongst people. That I would be needed. I was a loner just like you, everywhere. I was afraid people would notice my scars from my father's tantrums. After I joined the Brotherhood however, people started avoiding me. I was suspected for every little thieft that occured. I didn't really mind. By now I was 16, I had been with the gang for three years, and where I never did fit in as well as others seemed to, I still felt like I belonged there more then I belonged anywhere else. It wasn't until I was well in my late teens, only a few months from being twenty, that it finally hit me, I didn't even belong with them. We were in the middle of a jewl highst and someone tripped the alarm. I was ambused by one of the gang members, Falcone, who took what I had successfully stolen, and left me to be arrested." his face twisted. "Falcone was the one person who got close to me and who I thought really carred for me. I tought him all I knew, even though he had been in the gang longer then I had, I was more skilled then he was. That was the case with most of them. I just seemed to have a natural tallent for burglery. But when it hit me that I didn't even belong with the people I thought were my friends, I decided to go solo. I excaped jail and went out on my own. I pulled off about another two, three dozen theifts before Dragonis took over my world and I was recruted by the team to help take him down. I have trouble with trust the same way you do. I don't want to end up the same way I did when I trusted Falcone, but I've fought along side these guys for almost an entire year, and not once have they ever let me down."

As he finished his story, I felt myself shaking from the sobs. I was still crying. But whether it was for me or for him now, I didn't know. But what I did know was that I had more in common with this creepy duck then I had with anyone else from my own world. I knew all about gangs, and no one was family unless you were high up in the ranks. I wasn't. No one hesitated to use me if they needed me; but they never hurried to my rescue either. It was the first time I was attacked, and no one from my gang came to save me, that I discovered I was always on my own no matter if I was solo or with a group. And it was also that time when I realized that heroes weren't, nor would ever be, real.

"My dad." I began. "He never paid much attention to me." I took a few deep breathes, trying to control my shakes. My voice was still calm though... I'm still trying to figure out how that was. "I was three when my baby sister was born. And I was six when she died." I blinked. "I was hurt by multiple peaple as well, but it was my so called mother who did the most damage. Hurt, then love, then hurt again. I'm not going into detail, but imagine a woman pretending to be a different person and forcing her daughter to do... so many things." My voice caught in my throat. "She gave me so many drugs, all that were supposed to cure me... of what I don't know. I ended up in the damn hospital and while I was in there, my little sister had no one to protect her. No one knew what my mom was and I was in no condition to tell anyone. I was in the fricken place for FIVE FUCKING MONTHS!" I had shouted the last few words without meaning to. But I was talking about this for the first time in my life. "I had promised her I wouldn't let anything hurt her and for three damned years I shielded her, took care of her. And when she needed me the most I wasn't there! I lost everything in there. I lost my sister, my sight, what little I had of my family. I ran after they let me out. There was nothing they could've done for me and they shuved me in foster care. I wasn't going to let another family hurt me. The last person to pretend to care about me just wanted to use me. And when I tried to explain about the abuse, no one cared. They all said 'that's behind you and you have to look forward'. No one CARRED! I was abused in every sense of the damned word and not one damned person got justice for me! _She _wasn't accused of ANYTHING, dear old dad never even bothered to visit me! I was approached by a few other blind people and I concented to going to a center where I could learn how to live independently without my site. But everyday, not even they want to be with me. Other people who I thought I would have just the smallest thing in common with didn't want to be friends or anything. I tried. But nothing. Am I that..." but Duke cut me off.

"NO!" he said fermly. "You're worth more then you know."

"How do you know?" I asked a little more sharply then intended.

"Because no one's worthless."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." he had moved to sit next to me again. "Polly, I think you've talked enough for tonight. Why don't you calm down and try to get some more sleep." I looked at my watch, 10:25pm.

He gave me a squeeze and got up to leave. He was almost to the door when I did something I wasn't even consious of doing.

"Duke." he turned to me.

"Yes."

"Polly isn't my real name. It's Kathlene, but you can call me Kat."

"What made you think of Polly?"

"Short for Pollythimus, a giant cyclopse from..."

"Greek Mythology. Yeah, I know who he is. The one Oddyssius blinded with the burning spear."

I nodded.

"You're no cyclopse." he said, and then left.

I layed back, thinking of what he had told me. Of his life, of mine. Of how we both were subject to abuse. _But he found a place where he belonged, with the rest of these guys. _I thought. _And when you get back home, you wont be apart of anything. There's a huge difference. It's easy for him to talk about his past, which is still your present. _This was the last concious thought I had before my eye slamed shut and I fell into a heavy, almost intoxicated, slumber.

**Aww... Duke you're loved! Let's hope Kathlene realizes that too. Keep reading... the next chapter is a tad long and nothing to exciting happens... well a couple of things happen but you'll have to find out what they are for yourselves. please R&R!**


	4. Making Friends

**Okay, so last chapter wasn't too bad... right? This one doesn't really have anything except... well... without giving too much away; a creepy lady in a store, and the rise of the ultimate climax! So... just stick with it. Again, I know its long... but it flows!**

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 4: Making friends

Wildwing and Nosedive walked sleepily out of their room and into the kitchen where Mallery, Grin, and Tanya sat eating breakfast.

"Morning." Wildwing yawned as he walked over to the frige to get some milk. "Anyone else up yet?"

"They are not in their rooms." Grin said. "I wanted to check on them. They had an emotional time last night, but when I went to them, they weren't there."

"That's weird." Nosedive said. "Duke would never just get up and leave. I don't know about Polly, but I doubt it."

"I don't." Mallery said. "She doesn't trust us."

"She doesn't trust anyone, Mallery." Wildwing said. "But I agree. Finish eating and then we'll go check. But if Duke's gone too, then he's probably with her which means she's safe for now."

After they finished they went up to the stadium and when they walked out to the spectator box, they froze.

"Found them." Nosedive said, smilling.

Polly was skating back and forth on the ice, slamming the puck into both nets. Mallery, Grin, and Nosedive looked impressed with how well she was doing after yesterday's fall.

"Wow, look at her go!" Nosedive said excitedly as Polly made an excellent goal.

Duke was sitting a few rows down from where they stood, watching Polly skate.

"Hey." Wildwing said. "You scared us."

"Sorry, Wildwing. She scared me." Duke said, sliding a few seats over so the others could sit with him. "I went to see if she was alright, after last night's break down, I was a little worried. But she was gone when I checked, and I thought she had ran. But then I found her up here, trying to skate. She doesn't know I'm watching her."

"How'd she get so good?" Nosedive asked. "Yesterday, she could barely stand."

"She just kept working at it. Every time she fell, she just got back up." Duke explained with admeration in his voice. "Hey, listen." he suddenly looked a little uneasy.

"What is it?" Wildwing asked, looking concerned.

"She... she has good reason for not opening up to people right away. And she's had it extremely rough right from the start. Could..." he looked at Mallery and Tanya beseachingly. "Could you girls take her out and try to show her that we care?"

"Duke, you do know that she wants to go back." Wildwing said, getting scared that he was getting a little too attached to their guest. But Duke just shook his head.

"That's just the thing, she doesn't. She's all alone in her own world. She needs to know that there are people who want her; who'll except her." he looked again at the femail ducks. "Please?"

"What do we do?" asked Tanya who had just as much experience of 'girl time' as Nosedive.

"Take her out to the mall, shopping, go out to lunch, get your hair and nails done, do something that girls do. Try to get her to see that she can belong." Duke said. It was obvious that he had given it some thought. "She needs this. You have no idea how little she thinks of herself."

They all sighed.

"You realize that where this will help she will still have the anger and resentment that can still destroy her." Grin said.

Duke nodded. "But you can help with that, right? I mean, you can get to her and help her come to terms with her past."

"She will have to want to open up to me and then exept my help. You can pass the puck to a player, but it is their choice to score."

Duke nodded.

"What?" Nosedive asked, looking confused.

"I can not make her listen." Grin said.

"Sure you can. Just strap her down and talk." Nosedive argued.

"Hearing words and listening to them are two different things." Grin said. "But I see your point, Duke."

"Well I don't." said Mallery. "What if some of that anger and resentment comes at us? Shouldn't Grin take a whack at her before..."

"No." Duke said. "She needs to feel like she can trust us before she can open up. I had to make all the first moves last night before she talked."

Mallery and Tanya looked at each other. Mallery had an idea what to do, but Tanya looked completely lost.

"I'll do all the planning and most of the talking on this one." Mallery told her and Tanya looked releaved.

"How long as she been out here?" Wildwing asked, apparently he wasn't going to try and argue against what his team mates had decided.

"I came out here around 7:30 and she looked like she was just getting the hang of skating. She grabbed the puck right after I sat down." Duke said.

"Let's get her off the ice. I doubt she's eaten, and it's already a quarter to 9:00." Wildwing said.

I looked up when I heard footsteps. All the ducks were watching me. Actually they took me by surprise and I lost my balance.

"Aww, you were doing so good." Nosedive said, walking out with Grin. They helped me up, and led me to the others.

"Polly, have you even eaten yet?" Wildwing asked, unmasked concern in his voice. I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.

Duke looked at me, and I could sense his expression. _"You are no cyclopse." _His words rang in my head, as I took a deep breath.

"W-Wildwing." I stammered.

"Yes?" he was helping me up into the box where I could take my skates off. "I'm sorry."

"For not eating breakfast? That can be fixed." he said sounding a little bewildered.

"No, no. Not for that. It's just..." I took another deep breath. "Polly, isn't my real name."

"What is it?" Wildwing asked. He didn't torture me about not giving them my real name, which stunned me.

"Kath-Kathlene." I stammered. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you right off... I was just... after you helped me get away from those guys and after the kindness you've shown me, I figure I should repay you with letting you know my real name. It's the least I can do."

He clapped a feathered hand on my sholder. "Kathlene, we understand. It's okay. Now why don't we just get you something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry after scoring all those goals." he smiled kindly at me.

I blushed. "You saw that?"

"You bet we did!" Nosedive exclaimed. "You were unbelievable out there girl!"

I smilled weakly at him. "Thanks." I said softly.

I walked with them back to the 'headquarters' and to the kitchen where Nosedive started naming off all what they had. "I can fix you up something big if you're really hungry." he offered and I couldn't help but feel like that would be highly unecessary.

"No, no. Thank you, but... do you have any bagles?"

"My kind of breakfast." Mallery said. "I suppose you want cream cheese with that?"

I nodded. "But, I can eat something else if..." she cut me off.

"Bagles it is. How many you want?"

I stared at her then smiled. "Just one please."

As I was eating one of the best bagles I've had in a long time, Mallery was making sugestions on what we could do.

"I was thinking of taking you to the mall and getting you some clean closes to wear." she said looking at the pair of frayed and ripped jeans, oversized black t-shirt and pealing converse sneakers I had on.

"Oh, you don't have to..." I started. I didn't want them spending any more money on me, they had already paid for a dinner that I intended to pay back as soon as I got a job. I was plaining on searching for a job and hotel that day. So I wouldn't be burdening them any longer then need be. I wasn't even thinking of the fact that dragon breath might still be after me.

"Nonsence." she replied. "Besides, you might be staying here a while and we can't just let you wear the same thing every day. We can even pick you up a few nick-nacks to keep you busy." she smiled at me, and something told me that arguing with her would be fruitless. I sighed, then nodded and took another bite of my bagle.

"Tanya's going to join us. Is that okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked, surprised that Mallery was asking me. If the duck needed to go to the mall... well, as far as I knew I was still in a free country. Even if it was in a different universe, or world, or demention, or what ever it's called.

Mallery handed me a helmet as she led me to a back room where all their vehicles were.

"Hop on." she said gestering for me to sit behind her on a motorcycle. Putting the helmet on I swung my leg over the seat. "Hold on tight." she said and reved the bike. We shot forward. I redubbled my grip and put my head down. The speed, the force of power, it was a little more then I was used to. Tanya was right behind us.

It only took us a few minutes to get to the mall. At the speed we were going, I was surprised that we hadn't been pulled over.

"We're here." Mallery said, pushing the kick-stick (at least I think that's what its called) down, parking the bike.

I looked up. To my delight I could read a sign that made it perfectly clear, there was a comcic book store.

Laughing at my expression, Mallery said, "That's comic books."

"Cool." I whispered before I could stop myself.

She stared. "You read comcic books?"

I felt my face go hot. "I like looking at the pictures." she laughed. "Well, after we get you some new clothes we can go in if you want." I looked at her.

"Really?" I said, trying to hide my excitement.

"Sure, I need to pick up a request from Nosedive anyways." She laughed again as she led me to some store that looked like JC Pennies. There I tried on a bunch of jeans, and looked at alot of shirts. Mallery let me get some t-shirts and denem vests, and some new sneakers, but then she dragged me over to the more girly looking clothes.

"You'll need some of these. You never know when you're going to need them." she informed me. I looked a little uncofortable as she tossed a small skirt and strapless top at me. "You'll probably only need one or two outfits like this." she explained. "But they come in handy for under cover work."

"Under cover?" I repeated.

"Yeah. I had to crash this one party 'cause we had gotten word that the host was in danger." she said. "I hated every minute of it."

Tanya had looked just as uncomfortable as I did when we were in the clothes shop. Mallery had made her buy some 'girly' clothes too, saying that the two of us needed to get intouch with our femine side.

After we bought the clothes, and after I stopped stamering my thanks, we decided to go out to eat before we looked around for 'nick-nacks' that would keep me busy. While we did that, Tanya said she needed to get some more tools or equipment or something, and headed off to her favorite electronic store. Mallery led me through the mall, talking to me about her favorite kind of music, movies, books... weapons. She asked what I liked and I told her I prefered ulternative rock, action, fantasy, and as for weapons...

"I like things that BOOM, but I'm even more in love with blades." I told her as we walked on.

"You should talk to Duke then." she told me. "That's all he uses unless he has no other choice." We passed some store with meditation christals in the desplay window. "Oh, do you mind if we stop here? Grin needs more... whatever he uses to keep intouch with his 'inner peace'." Mallery said, stopping me.

"No." I said and fallowed her inside. I had to immideately cover my face, the thick smell of insense hit me like a speeding truck. It seemed like forever we were in there. I decided to look around while Mallery checked the slip of paper Grin had given her with the names of whatever he needed. There were alot of pretty christals and a varioty of sented candles and insense. I was examining a particularly gorgious blue christal when one of the workers approached me.

"Let me help you." the woman said kindly.

"That's okay, I'm just looking... but I think my friend might need help." I pointed to Mallery who I was sensing was getting very irritated. She kept walking up and down the isles and examining every inch of every shelf muttering darkly to herself. I thought about what I had just said. _"friend"? _When did she go from aquantence, to _friend? _

"Let me help you." the woman said again.

"I just said I'm just looking." I said again, wondering if the lady was hard of hearing.

"You need to come to terms with your inner troubles, or they will tear you apart." she told me. I backed away.

"I'm sorry." I said. "But I don't _have _any inner troubles. I'm perfectly fine, thank you anyways."

She grabbed my wrist as I tried to turn and walk away.

"Make peace with your enemies and you will be amazed at how clear you will be able to look at your life. You might even be able to find what you are looking for."

Before I could respond, Mallery turned the corner. "Dark blue healing christals?" she muttered. "All I see are purple healing christals. And where the hell is the sea breaze lotion for-" she looked closer at the paper. "Bringin out your inner tranquility? I swear I'm never agreeing to come here again. If he needs this stuff then he can come himself and get it." She looked up and saw that the lady had a hold on me and that I was about two seconds away from probably getting arrested for assult. "Hey!" she said walking forward. The woman released my wrist and backed off, walking into the back of the store. "Did she hurt you?" Mallery asked in concern as I stood there, shaking with shock. I shook my head.

Mallery went up to pay for the little she was able to find, complaining to the casheer how disorganized and messed up she thought the store was, while I walked out side to clear my head. I was going to have to talk to that over sized entre the moment we got back to The Pond.

"Kat, are you sure you're okay? You look extremely psycted, and not in the good way." Mallery asked as we walked on.

"I'm fine Mallery, honest. That woman just gave me the kreeps that's all." I flashed, what I hoped was a convincing smile, at her and she decided to drop it.

We came to a store that had, what I concidered, very interesting things out in the desplay case. I ran in before Mallery could stop me.

"Wow." I gasped as I saw every sized sword, dagger, pocket knife you could think of. I even saw different kinds of swords, broad, sabers, twin, sais. All there. They also had bow and arrow kits, a few hand guns, a collection of neetly carved staffs and some of those upgraded metalic staffs that can contract into an ideal storage size.

"Kat?" Mallery called. I was by the staffs.

"Mallery, look at all this." I said. I could not supress the awe in my voice. She smiled a little.

"Pick out a couple that you like." she told me.

"What?"

"We can't have you going around un protected." she told me. "You never know when Dragonis and his goons'll come after you. Or what tricks they'll use. If I were you, I'd get a sword and a staff."

"Can I get a bow and arrow kit too?"

"Can you use one?" I nodded. "Okay, pick 'em out and then we'll get you practicing on how to use them." she smiled and went over to wait at the counter as I browsed, trying out different weapons, trying to find ones that felt right to me.

When we left that place it was a little after 3:00pm.

"Should we fetch Tanya and hed back?" I asked Mallery.

"Sounds good to me. But I thought you wanted to go and get some comics."

I had almost forgotten about that place. What with the the creepy lady in the meditation store, and the overwhelming sight of all those weapons, I just felt whipped and uncomprehensible.

We whent to the electonic store where Tanya was still at, talking to a couple of other people who I guessed were other regular costomers.

"Yo Tanya!" Mallery called out. "We're leaving!"

"Coming!" Tanya called back.

We started walking back to the motorbikes. I was wondering how I was going to carry all of the packages and still hold on to Mallery when she stired me into the commic book store.

"Huh, that's funny." Mallery said. "The two weirdos who normally run this place aren't here."

She went over to a shelf and grabbed the newest addition of whatever commic Nosedive had requested. I walked up and down the isles and almost fainted from the sight of ALL of the best DC commics in the world. I decided I'd only get two, seeing how each book was only 50 cents.

Mallery paid for the commics, handing a smiling short blonde haired girl who said she was the sister of the manager who was out of town until the next week.

I was processing the whole day of spending time with Mallery and Tanya. How weird, yet nice, it was to actually of had a social experience. And they didn't treat me any different. They didn't fuss over me to stay close. Well, they did a little but that was 'cause they were constantly on their guard, looking out for Dragonis's goons. But for once, I was being, or at least it felt like I was being, excepted, for me. As we walked to the bikes, laughing about something that the manager of that electonic store Tanya was in had said, my almost perfect day was blasted.

"Hey, who's that?" I asked as a figure leaning against one of our bikes came into view.

"Hey you! Get away from there!" Tanya shouted running towards the figure who, morphed? I froze. It was that little grin guy, the one who had been shooting at me when the ducks came to my rescue.

"Chameleon!" Mallery shouted, dropping her bags and yanking out a small gun.

"Hey! Hey! Hold your fire Sweetheart!" the lizard croaked out, raising his hands to sholder hight. Tanya pulled me close and put a protective arm around me.

"What do you want lizard lips?" she asked, pointing her bracelet thingy at him.

"I just have a message for you ducks, that's all." he squeeked.

"Then give it to us." snarled Mallery, her gun still pointing at him.

"Dragonis wants to make amends. He says he can get the girl back home, it just takes a little effort on your part." an evil, slimy smile twisted on his face. "We found balerium christals on the outskirts of Nigeria. If you go get them for us, then the little brat can go home."

I thought about it. _Home, where you're constantly ignored? Where you're just used and abused? Do you want to go back? _A voice rang in my head.

"What... what if I don't want to go back?" I asked him.

"Then..." he trailed off, thinking. "Let me get back to you on that one." he said, then vannished.

"Err. That's so annoying!" Tanya yelled.

"What are balerium christals?" I asked.

"There a rare christal that can power Dragonis's ship." Tanya explained, leading me over to her bike, she still had her arm around me. "And if his ship is powered, then he can take over the world."

"Well, he certainly has big ambissions, doesn't he." I said, thinking of his tall figure and cold voice. "I'm guessing he wouldn't be one of those nice rullers who remembers everyone's birthday?"

"You guessed right." Tanya said shortly. "We have to get you back to The Pond right away. Mallery, push that blue botton on your bike."

Mallery obeyed and a small basket poped out on the back. We piled the packages in it and with in minutes, were hurring into the stadium.

**I'm sorry... but I CAN'T STAND Chameleon! He's... just plain creepy! Anyhow... it gets better... some of Kat's past comes back to haunt her in the next chapter so keep reading! And... R&R plz!**


	5. Inner Tranquility

**Grin plays a big part in this chapter. I tried to get his speaking style down... not quite sure if I managed it or not... oh well... enjoy!**

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 5: Inner Tranquility

"We have a problem." Mallery said running into the living room where Wildwing, Nosedive, Duke, and Grin all sat watching a hockey game on TV.

"What's wrong?" Wildwing asked sharply as Duke turned off the game.

"Chameleon just approached us and said that they could send Kat back if we got them balerium christals which are in Nigeria."

"But..." Duke looked at me and I could sense he was starting to get confused.

"I told them I didn't want to go back." I said quickly.

"Yeah, and then he vanashed to see what Dragonis's response to that would be. We didn't hang around to see what it was." Tanya said.

"Then what's the problem?" Nosedive asked. "If they need us to get the christals, that means they can't. And if we don't want to, with Kat staying here, they have no way of getting us to get them."

I had to admire the kid's reasoning. It looked like everyone else was stunned that he managed to come to this logical conclusion as well.

"Hey I have my moments." he said a little affended.

Just then a sound like an alarm went off.

We all ran to the main room where Drake 1 was beebing wildily. I had to squint a little as harsh red lights flashed. Tanya was immidiately working at the controls and a few seconds later a cold voice rang through the room.

"So will you concider handing over the girl for your manager?"

"Dragonis you don't..." Duke started but then broke off as the camera flitted over to a tied up and gagged Phil. I stared.

"What do we do Wildwing?" Tanya asked.

"Why do you want her?" Wildwing asked.

"At first I thought she was only good as bate for you feathered freaks, use her to get you to deliver the belarium christals, but then I discovered something about her when I was checking up on her stats through the universe machine I used to bring her here. She's worth quite alot to me now."

They all turned to look at me but I was just staring at the screen. "What the hell are you talking about dragon breath?" I snapped. "What did you find out?"

"Girls like you are very valuable in the galaxies. Sharp, skillful, interestingly tallented in very useful ways... word got out that you came here by accident and now I have thousands of bitters just waiting to get their hands on you. Bitters who will pay in balerium christals if that's what it'll take." he said slighly. I felt my blood run cold. I knew exactly what he was talking about, and I could NOT go down that road again, but what choice did I have? Besides, I probably diserved it. For what I couldn't tell, but if there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that bad things happen to punish people. I tried to think of what I had done this time... all I could think of was plaining on running away from the center after I passed my mobility test.

"What is he talking about?" Nosedive asked but I ignored him. I was shaking.

"Bastard." I whispered. "FINE!"

They all looked at me.

"Give us some time to talk this over lizard lips. We'll keep in touch. You better not harm a hair on Phil's head while we're making our decision." Wildwing said then pressed a botton that ended the transmition.

"Kat?" Duke asked.

"Those people who I said just wanted to use me. The ones outside my family. I didn't want to... I was a spy, a toy. If I go back to that life..." I was stamering incoherent.

Grin stepped forward and draged me out of the room. Looking over his sholder he said to the others, "I'll just be a moment with her."

He led me to his room where we wouldn't be overheard. Then he said, "Get over it."

I stared at him. "That's a hell of lot easier said then..."

"Make peace with it or it will never go away."

"It looks like no matter what I do now it wont go away! I have to go with them! Phil's in trouble!" I shouted. But Grin wasn't going to let me get away with that.

"Come here." Grin said and dragged me infront of his mirror. "What do you see?"

I looked. My long brown bangs almost concealing my face, the rest of it falling down past my sholders. I looked a mess. "Nothing." I said. "Nothing that can't be traided for anyways. Why don't you just let me?" I said yanking away from him.

"Because you need to see you the way we see you. You need to make peace with yourself and your enemies or you will never be able to see your life clearly. And you may never find what you are looking for." These words snapped a memory into place.

"You tipped off your friend at that christal store!" I shouted at him. "You know how creeped out she made me!"

"I tipped off no one. But she spoke the truth." he said calmly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. He then crumbled it up and handed it to me. "Can you use this?" he asked me.

"Yeah." I said, not too sure where he was going with this.

"But it is crumbled and I think I even tore it a little." Grin said.

"But it's still a 20." I told him.

"Exactly."

Then it hit me. "I'm still a 20." I said realization in my voice.

"No." he said.

"Oh. Then what were you..."

"You are more like a 100." he smiled. "I know you might not be able to see all of it now. But can you see enough to know that you can't hand yourself over?"

"Hey guys!" Duke's voice rang out. "We just got a message that Dragonis is going to dump Phil in the river! We didn't respond in time! Everyone's going to go get him, it's just us who's here now!"

I bursted out into the hall. "WHAT?" I shouted. "NO!"

"Kat, just stay here. They'll get him. Plus, someone needed to stay with you, you can't go there, not when they want you that badly." Duke said.

I hit the floor on my knees. _Because of me. Phil is in danger because of me. I wanted to belong, not put people in danger. _I shook my head.

"Go take a shower." Grin told me.

"What?"

"It will clear your mind, and help you calm down to think straight." he told me.

"I think he's right Kat. We can't do anything now. And you can bet that even when the others get Phil, Dragonis wont stop until he has you. Especially if he can use you to get christals. Come on, you can use my shower." he led me to his room, after I grabbed one of my new outfits that is, and showed me how to work the tabs and everything before leaving me alone.

I stood there as the water ran over me, thinking of what Grin had said. I thought of my past and my conversation with Duke the night before. I thought of what the creepy lady in the store had said. And I thought of my inability to trust, my habbit of hate and holding grudges. But, what good was holding on to those things doing for me? _A fat lot of nothing. _The voice in my mind told me. _Why don't you at least try what they're telling you, just see if it might be so crazy that it works. _And what if I come to the conclussion that I am worth staying out of Dragonis's claws? What kind of person puts their friends lives at risk? He wants me for what I can be. That's something I'm used to. It's not what I want, but... _What about the ducks who wants you for WHO you are? _The voice argued. _They're getting Phil. And if you're still not convinced, don't do it to keep you safe, do it to keep the world safe. Remember what Tanya said if he gets those christals? _

"You guys were right. That shower helped alot." I told them as I dried my hair. I was in my new jeans, sneakers, one of the strapless tubetops, and vest.

"I am glad, little friend." Grin said obviously pleased.

"Here Kat, tie your hair back with this." Duke said handing me one of his hair twisties. I raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks Duke, but you know why I can't." But he was ready for that.

"Here." he said and held up a spair eye patch. I looked at it.

"Uh... how many of these things do you have?" I said.

"Enough." he said. "But you just said yourself you're not going to hide anymore."

"I'm not hiding to begin with! I thought this was about me finding inner tranquility or whatever it is."

"They are one in the same." Grin said. "You were hiding from the truth and refusing to facing it, or come to terms with it. That's a form of running away." he told me.

I thought about it. Then it hit me. I need to change my outer apperience, as well as my inner one. Why, I wasn't too sure. But I knew it would make me feel a little better. I took what Duke offered me and turned my back to them. Duke knew what I looked like, but I didn't want anyone else to. Plus, I had a feeling I was the only one who knew what he truly looked like also. That was something that I wanted to keep between us.

When I turned back around Duke and Grin beamed at me. "Come here." Duke said puting me infront of a mirror. I could hardly recognize myself. I looked a hell of a lot better, like one of those teen girls I had always seen walking around the mall. I had no more bangs (yes, they were long enough to tie back). I had a low ponytail on the base of my neck, and the only deformaty I had was the patch.

"I look like your sister." I joked turning to Duke. He laughed and put an arm around my sholders.

"Hmm... I don't know. What do you think Grin?"

"I can see the family resemblence." he said smiling.

The feeling I had was remarkable. I still couldn't quite grasp at what they saw in me. Why they wanted to try and help me so badly. But I wasn't really complaining. Like Grin said, I didn't believe everything right off, but I now knew that I was worth a little more then I'd thought. And, if I could help it, I wasn't going to let anyone use me in _that _way ever again.

My euphoria only lasted a minute however. Just then, Grin's communicator went off.

"Grinster! We need back up!" Nosedive called out.

"Duke, you stay here with Kat. I can go." Grin said and hurried out before either one of us could stop him.

**Yes, I've set it where Duke and Kat are alone... NO I'M NOT SETTING IT UP FOR ANYTHING! Keep reading and you won't be disapointed! and don't forget to... R&R!**


	6. Betrail

**Okay... so pretty good so far? This one is a little shocking twards the end... if you're good at for shadowing you can probably guess. Anyhow...**

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 6: Betrail

"What are you doing?" Duke asked as I filled my new quiver with a dozen arrows.

"I can't sit here anymore." I snarled. "Not when they need help."

"You can't put yourself at danger either." Duke said.

"Yeah, well... they're my friends and if I get captured then... I have a plan. You have to trust that I know what I'm doing, Duke."

"Kat..."

"Duke... I trusted you, now it's your turn. Don't come with me if you want, but I'm going to go after them. I'm not going to be the reason for their..." but I stopped myself. I could not think that.

"Do you know how to use that thing?" Duke asked as I shiethed my sword.

"Yes." I said.

"On guard." he said pointing his saber at me.

"We don't have..."

"I'm not concenting to letting you out until you prove to me that you can take care of yourself." he said sternly. We glared at each other.

"Fine. But you asked for it." I told him. "By the way, I'm really sorry about this, I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship or anything."

"What doesn..." but he never got to finish. I charged. He deflected fairly easily, but that's cause I didn't want to take him out just yet. I played with him for a few seconds, but then when I felt him twist his wrist in the slightlest movement, I disarmed him, flung him to the ground and jabbed the tip of my blade inches from his head. He looked up at me stunned.

"Nobody's ever disarmed me that quickly, or that neatly." he choked out, his expression, very visable to me, was one of bewilderment and horror.

"Yeah, well, first time for everything." I told him, yanking my sword out from the ground and putting it away again. "Can we go now?" I picked up his saber and returned it to him.

"I'll do you one better, you can lead this mission." he said still stunned.

"Pass." I said. "I can't lead myself out of a paper bag, just don't strap me to a bed to keep from leaving here and we'll call it quits." I said.

He nodded. "This way." We took one of the motorbikes.

"Oh, before we go I think you need one of these." he said and ran off. He came back seconds later and handed me something that looked like a wrist band. "It's a communicator." he explained. "All members of the team are required to whear them at all time." he flashed a grin at me and I smiled back. It was his way of saying that I was truly one of them now. We sped off in the dirrection of the other's signals, me holding on for dear life.

When we riched the ship, it looked like a house.

"Corney." I muttered as Duke looked for an open window.

"Why don't we just use the front door?" I asked.

"You want to get caught the moment we step in?" he asked me.

"No, but if this is just a cloaking disguise, then one of those windows could actually be a peice of wall that we wouldn't be able to get through. I'd take my chances with the door."

He looked at me and I could sense he agreed. Even if he didn't want to admit it. I shrugged. "But we can try it your way first to see what happens."

"No. Let's just use the door." he mumbled. We walked up the front steps and tried the door.

"Damn it." I murmmered. "Locked."

"Step aside rookie and let me show you how a pro does it." he said a little cockily. I steped back as he kneeled down on one knee and started working on the lock. Just then I heard the smallest click as the door swung open.

"Amazing what you can do with a toothpick, huh?" he said, puting the toothpick in his mouth and crossing his arms satisfied with himself. I tried hard not to burst out laughing. The sight was quite hystaricle.

We were able to get through the first few hallways without detection. As I walked, I suddenly remembered where I was and how to get to certain rooms. That was my skill at remembering building layouts at play. Told you had a photographic memory.

"Where would they be held?" I whispered to Duke as we crept along.

"There's some sort of holding chamber he held us in last time." he whispered back. "But I can't remember where it was."

"What was in it?"

"A platform he had us bound on, a control pannel... that's it." he said. "Unless you count the hidden puddle of white hot wires he was going to put us on to turn us into dinner."

I closed my eye and thought. I had seen a room similar to that discription right before I had managed to locate the exit. "This way." I said. But the moment we turned the corner, a band of robot droids ran at us.

"Nice." I said. "Warm up practice." I took out my staff and twirled it in my fingures. It sprang out and I took out a little more then half of the robots with it.

"Smooth." Duke shouted at me. "You're a natural kid!"

"Not to bad yourself there old man!" I shot back.

"Hey, hey! I'm only 26!" he replied irritably.

"Yeah? And I'm 18, as far as I know that's legal adult hood baby!"

"You know you're fisty under neath that layer of shyness and mistrust!"

"Thank you!"

As the last one fell I grabbed Duke's hand and flew down the hall with him. "It should be... this one!" I flung open the door and there they were, all of them. Even Phil.

"Duke!" he cried out.

"Cool it Phil, you want to alert more guards?" Wildwing whispered.

"Kat, what are you doing here?"

"Saving your tail feathers." I shot at him. "You can thank me later."

They all stared at me.

"Little spit fire, isn't she?" Duke laughed as he lowered them down and I cut them loose. They all ran over and grabbed their weapons.

"Yeah." Wildwing said looking at me through his mask. "Let's just get outa here before we celebrate."

Just then the door opened and that big bolder guy came running in.

"Siege." Wildwing muttered, turning to him.

"How did you bird brains get loose this time?" he roared.

"Hello." I said before realeasing one of my arrows. He didn't have time to dodge. It spun around him and I pulled the rope that was attached to it. He collapsed.

"Are you sure you're blind?" Nosedive asked in amazment.

"Almost blind." I corrected him. "I do have _some _vision left to me."

"Let's chat latter and move now!" Wildwing called out. We obeyed, darting out into the hallway. We didn't even get half way down it though when quite unexpectedly a few obsticles prevented us from moving forward. First, a pit opened up and Phil, Mallery and Nosedive went falling through the floor. In a desperate attempt to grab his little brother Wildwing fell down after them. Tanya, Grin, Duke, and I all looked at each other as the pit closed back up.

"Perfect." Duke grumbled.

"Look out!" Tanya shouted as a wall came crashing down to split the hallway in two. Duke and I jumped to one side and we were seperated from the other two.

"Yo Grin! Can you break through?" Duke called.

"Are you crazy?" I said. "That's got to be at least three inces thick!"

"Yeah, you might want to step back." Duke replied.

There came a loud crunching noise and the impression of Grin's giant hand was made into the wall, but other then that, nothing. From the other side came Grin's voice, "Pain is an illusion."

"Who in the world told you that?" I shouted at him.

"An illusion that really hurts." he finished, it sounded like his eyes were tearing up.

"Well no duh." I said. "Do NOT try that again! Let's just see if we can meet up somewhere.

"Hey Tanya!" Duke cried. "Do you have a du-hiki that can get us a map of the building?

"Not unless I was at one of the main computers." she responded. I closed my eyes again.

"Wait a minute! The hall that we're in. It's circular! We can meet up on the other side!" I shouted out.

"How do you..."

"I'll explain later!" I cut across Tanya's question hastely. The sooner we got back together, the sooner we could get the others and then get out of there. This plan however, failed misserably. The moment we started runing, Another pit opened up and Duke started falling down.

"No!" I shouted and grabbed him by the uper arm. "Wait, what am I doing?" I said to no one in particular. But by the time that entered my mind it was too late. I fell down after him. Expecting to land near him, I was shocked and pissed that I went down a different side shoot. It was dark, but I was used to it.

"Kaaaaaaaat!" I heard him scream as he fell down his shoot. But by the time I found my own voice to reply, he was already out of ear reach.

When I hit the bottom I slamed against a stone floor. "Oww." I muttered. It looks like the ducks weren't the only ones who knew how to build underground fortresses. I took out my staff again and extended it to its fullest length. Using it as a cane I moved through the dark and gloom. How was I going to get intouch with the others? _Your communicator dummy. _The annoying voice in my head said in an obvious tone. Oh, yeah! I almost forgot about that! I stopped and leaned against the wall, raising my communicator and calling out Wildwing's name.

"All I'm saying is that this is the worst trouble we've gott'n ourselves into and it's all _her _fault."

I froze. Mallery's voice was cold and cruel.

"I know." Wildwing said. "And as leader, it's my duty to protect the team. When we get out of here-"

"_If _we get out of here." Nosedive's voice rang out.

"We are going to get out of here." Wildwing said fermly. "And when we do, I'll tell her that she has to go back. I never thought a girl could be so much trouble."

"Yeah, well look at what they want her for." Mallery's voice echoed around me, reverberating of the stone walls. "Spy, toy. I mean, she could've been playing us all along and to think I actually spent money on her."

I ended the transmition. I couldn't hear anymore. My heart felt like it was turning into the same kind of stone that I leaned on. _Tanya and Grin. _The vice said. _Try them. _I raised my wrist again and called out Tanya's name.

"I sensed no good in her from the start." Grin's voice was much colder then I've heard it so far.

"She decieved us, that's all there is to it." Tanya said. "I didn't like her from the start either."

I ended the transmition. I refused to believe it. These guys told me, showed me, that I belonged with them. But it was all lies. _You fell for it again. _The voice in my head said. _You believed that they wanted you. That they cared. The only reason they didn't want Dragonis to get you was because they cared about the world, not you. If he had said that all the bitters were offering was cash, they would've gone and got the christals in Nigeria before Dragonis could, leaving him to get you and earning a little bit of profit. _NO! I wouldn't believe that! DUKE! Duke would help me! He would talk to the others. I raised my communicator one last time and whispered his name.

"Kat?" his voice came out sharp.

"Oh, thank goodness!" I exlcaimed. "Where are yo..."

"How could you get us into this mess?" his voice too was cold.

"W-what?"

"This is all your fault! I've got Phil with me and we're just about caught up with the others. Then we're leaving, if you know what's good for ya, GO HOME!" and he hung up.

I felt my legs give way and I collapsed on the ground. I wasn't wanted. Duke, of all of them, just made that perfectly clear. _Dragonis. _The voice in my head said. _At least there you'll have somewhere to go. _Where I'd be sold too, I didn't, at that point care. Just so long as I was off this damned planet and away from the ones who made me believe, I could ever belong. Well, it just goes to show that no matter where you were in the cosmos... the same rule applies. The one's closest to you are the ones who always end up hurting you the most. I was blinded to that truth by the childish dreams I had sworn to myself I'd never have again. And it opened me up to be stabbed by the same knife again. Only, this time, the blade hurt much worse then it had ever done before.

**DUKE! How could you say that! If you hate me for making him and the others sound cold and not like themselves... please don't but keep reading! All WILL be come clear to you in the end! And as always don't forget to R&R!**


	7. Sold

**Okay... this chapter... well... you'll see... nothing to bad... but a little sad and nail bitting at the end.**

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 7: Sold

"We've got her Boss!" Chameleon exclaimed happily as he hung up Wildwing's communicator.

"And with the messages I sent to her through her subconsious she'll be running to us at this very minute." Wraith stated, unmistakable pride in his slow deep voice.

"Excilent." Dragonis said. "Now that she thinks her dear beloved friends no longer except her, she'll be begging for us to take her away; to make the pain stop."

"Kat!" Duke was yelling into his communicator. Why didn't she answer? He looked around. Phil was fiddling with his tie, a nervous habbit of his whenever he got in over his head.

"Where's the exit to the this hell whole?" he muttered. The big baby was looking around jerkily.

"If I knew that Phil, I would have tossed you through it by now." Duke stated, trying to keep his cool.

"Wildwing! Tanya! Grin!" he was still trying to reach the others. But just like Kathlene, no one answered. _Perfect. _He thought. _Stuck in a dark cellar with no one but Phil for company. Just perfect. I'm going to need a vacation after this one. _

Wildwing and Nosedive were looking around. Phil and Mallery had gone down different shoots. The only reason they had remained together was because Wildwing had grabbed Nosedive's ankle as he fell and hadn't let go until they both smashed into the ground.

"Wing, I don't like this man." Nosedive whispered. He raised his communicator. "Yo Mallery!" he said. Nothing.

"Something must be jamming the signal." Wildwing said. "Come on. We can't just stand here. We might as well start trying to find a way out."

Mallery brushed herself off. _I love what they've done with the place. _She thought as she looked around at the stone interior of the underground fortress. She raised her communicator and tried calling Tanya and Grin. Nothing. She tried Wildwing, Nosedive, Duke. Still nothing. She even called out Kathlene's name. Still nothing.

"Just great." she muttered darkly. "Well, better find away out of here." she started walking. _Hopefully I'll run into the others. _She thought.

Tanya and Grin had fallen down another shoot when they tried to circle around to the other side of the hall as Kathlene instructed.

"I wish I knew how she knew that was a circular hallway." Tanya said. "I think it's a little suspicious that she knew details of the ship. Don't you?" she turned to Grin who was walking with his eyes closed.

"I do not think she set us up." he said. Tanya pushed the idea out of her mind. Kathlene may not trust them completely, but she wouldn't set them up. Would she?

Tanya raised her communicator, but immideately saw that the signal was being jamed.

"No good reaching the others." she told Grin. "Signal's been..." but before she could finish telling him, three shadows appereared on the wall infront of them. Both of them raised weapons, Tanya her omni-tool and Grin a puck blaster.

I stumbled down the long stone path, using my staff more for support then guidence now. The transmitions I had heard seemed to be on repeat in my head. _"This is all HER fault.", "I never thought a girl could be so much trouble, she has to go back.", "I senced no good in her from the start.", "If you know what's good for you, GO HOME!". _Duke's words in particular seemed to play over and over again. I had tried covering my ears, but that did nothing. Of course it wouldn't, the voices were in my _head! _

I lost my balance and collapsed on the wall, sobbing. Why even try to whipe the tears away? They were just going to keep falling. How could I have been so stupid as to believe that I actually could belong? I knew now, more then ever, I was to be used. That's all I was good for. That's all I was ever good for. Used as a shield for a baby, a spy for people who used an attractive blind girl to get pitty and trust from their enemies, betray those poor people and get them killed (gangs, I don't recomend them), used as a toy for the very people who used me as an innocent looking killer. A tool, that's all I was. Worth nothing, dependent on everyone, useless to no one but myself; Pollythimus, the cyclopse, used by everyone, loved by no one.

_"You are NOT a cyclopse.", "You are more like a hundred.". _Duke's and Grin's words came back to me. But if they really thought that, then why had they said those things? Did they change their mind after their team got caught because I didn't turn myself over?

"Why, what's the matter?" the tallest of Dragonis's goons floated up to me, holding a staff, false concern in his voice.

"N-nothing." I sobbed out. I tried to make it sharp and cold, but the effect was ruined by my stammering lips.

"Is there anything I can do?" he now was floatting right infront of me.

"S-send m-me b-back home." I choked out.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. But, I can send you away. If that's what you really want. Fallow me."

I scrambled to my feet, holding on to the long sleave of his robes, and leaving my staff behind.

We walked on a little ways until he looked down on me and told me to hold on a little tighter. I obeyed and we soared up through a trap door. We came out into the same room where I had landed after falling out of the portal thing that brought me here. Dragonis, Chameleon, and Siege, all stood waiting for me.

"Hello again." Dragonis cruned in his horrible voice. "Oh, dear me. What ever is the matter, child?" more faulse concern.

"Forget it!" I had steadied and calmed myself. I knew I would break down again soon, but for the time being, I was able to keep a stone face. "Just get me off this damn rock."

"As you wish." he said and went over to his big computer thing. It looked very similar to Drake 1, I thought. But quickly pushed the memory of Drake 1, The Pond, and all that out of my head. _There's no use remembering faulse joy._ The voice in my mind said softly.

As Dragonis punched in some keys, the figure of a grey faced... man, I'm assuming, came onto the screen.

"Dragonis, you have my package ready for me?" he said. He sounded like he had a thick mouth full of mud.

"Aww, Captain Gorg." Dragonis said in a pleasent, business like voice. "Yes, I do. And I trust you have my balerium christals."

Captain Gorg stepped to the side and a huge pile of yellow glowing christals was visable for the breefest moment.

"Shall we trade at the same time then?" Dragonis said, still in his light, conversational tone.

"We shall." the slimy, grey, blob said in agreement.

Dragonis dragged me by my upper arm to a teleportation device. "Stand still." he commanded harshly. "We wouldn't want you to loose a limb."

"Oh, I'm going to miss the little brat." Chameleon said in mock sorrow. "Not!" he fallowed his own statement and then laughed.

_Uhg, what was the time here, 1995? _I thought as Siege punched in the cordinates where I was to be transported.

"See ya 'round girly. Oops... my bad, no we wont." Siege gave me one last taunt.

"Hey spike face! Want a bird?" I asked, fed up with everyone and everything. Thinking I was talking about one of the ducks, all of them nodded. Right before Siege hit the send button, I raised my hand.

A flash of light, a small popping sound, and I was no longer on Dragonis's ship. The huge grey glop looked at me, gave an obvious sound of delight and grabbed me, leading me off to... I could only guess, but I turned out to be right.

"Wow! Hold your fire!" Nosedive said raising his hands to sholder hight.

"Nosedive?" Tanya said in releaf. "Wildwing? Mallery? That you guys?"

"Ah, I'd shoot at him at least once." Mallery said.

"Yeup, that's Mallery." Grin said putting his blaster back in his holster.

"Thank goodness you're all okay!" Tanya exclaimed. "Where are the others?"

"We were hopping they were with you." Wildwing said sounding worried.

Tanya shook her head.

"Yo guys! Over here!" A farmilar voice ran out as a fat figure of a man came around the opposite corner.

"Yeah, That's it. Just shout out our possition. Cause we can totally tell who's shadows those are." Another voice answered.

"Phil." all of the ducks said together.

"Okay, is that everyone?" Wildwing asked as Duke and Phil came up to them.

"Where's Kat?" Duke asked searching for her.

"She's not with you?" Tanya asked.

"No, she went down a different shoot. Why were we shot down here anyways? There's no traps or anything that's tried to get us." Duke said.

"I don't know." Wildwing said thoughtfully. "But first things first, find Kat."

"Well, I hate to break it to you guys, but I think they've got her." Nosedive said. He had walked away from the group and now was walking back, holding something thin and long in his hands.

"That's the staff I bought her today." Mallery said.

"She really kicked tail with that thing." Duke said. "I bet she was using it to help guide her around down here."

"Time to find out where the exit is." Wildwing said. One of his team mates was in danger, now he was pissed.

After walking, more like running, down the passage a few minutes, they saw a patch of light. Wraith had forgotten to close the trap door.

"Up there!" barked Wildwing.

They all jumped up and pulled themselves through, all except Phil who muttered something about it not being so bad in the stone passage and that he thought he would just wait for them there. But Grin leaned down after hoasting himself through the door and yanked Phil up after him.

"Dragonis!" Wildwing shouted feriously. "Where is she!"

"Oh, do you mean your ex-team mate?" Dragonis asked slighly.

"Ex-team mate?" Wildwing said, puzzled.

"She heard you guys say she needed to go home and agreed to go." Chameleon laughed.

"What are you talking about you slimy weazle!" Duke shouted, his heart thudding hard in fear.

Chameleon morphed into each one of them and repeated a line of his monolouge.

"This is all _her _fault."

"I can't believe a girl can be so much trouble, she has to go."

"I sensed nothing good in her from the start."

"If you know what's good for you, GO HOME!"

Duke stared at the morphed image of himself, laughing madly. He felt his blood boil as Siege laughed along. "Yeah, and there's nothing you bird brains can do. We have the christals now."

Duke grabbed his saber from his arm and charged, grabbing Chameleon who had morphed back into his original form and driving him into another room.

"Seize him!" Dragonis ordered but the other ducks blocked Siege and Wraith's path.

"I'd stay right there if I were you." Mallery said in a deadly whisper, pointing her blaster at Dragonis. Grin had come up behind him and pinned his arms at his side.

"Do as they say!" Dragonis shouted.

"Coward." muttered Wildwing.

"What's he doing in there?" Nosedive asked, looking at the door where Duke and Chameleon just passed.

"I'm, not sure." Wildwing said, walking over to the counter and retreiving his communicator. "Tanya, go shut down the christals, and take Noisedive with you."

Five minutes later, Duke walked out with furry etched all over his face, his eyepatch had that little read glow it got when he was most dangerous. He was also a tad pale. "You sold her to the Mulkers!" he roared at Dragonis as Chameleon scrambled back into the room in the form of a chicken, shaking madly and trying to apologize and explian that that duck had methods of making you talk. "Don't you know what they'll do to her? They'll shred her to pieces!" He walked over to the transporter. "Grin! Let him go! We have to get her back, NOW!"

Just then Noisedive and Tanya came in. "Tanya, I had no idea what you were talking about. Besides, I still destroyed them, didn't I?" Nosedive was saying.

"Destroyed them?" Tanya said. "Nosedive you disintergratted them!"

"Who are the Mulkers?" Wildwing asked, ignoring the other two.

"I did a couple of highsts for them before. You don't want to know what they do to women." Duke was shaking. They all piled immideately into the transporter, Duke just making it as the door closed.

**Yes, Mulkers are no race to mess with... especially if you're femine... just... bad things... Will they manage to save her in time? Will she except their help? Keep reading and find out! oh... and R&R! **


	8. Prisoner

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MEGA ABUSE! _(Or what I take to be mega abuse anyways)_**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 8: Prisoner

I was thrown into a cell.

"We'll call you again when your needed." the guard said evily. Then he slammed his fist on a button and the caged door that was glowing a pulsing blue light, closed.

I walked over to the bench against one of the side walls and curled up in the corner, sobbing worse then ever. My arms, legs, and upper chest (collar bone area) were covered in cuts and welts. I felt the fresher wonds run warm blood over the dried blood from the older ones; and I felt the other, nonvisible wonds throb painfully. I tried to control myself, the tears that were falling down were stinging the few gashes I had on my cheek. My hair was once again down, the ends matted with blood from the wonds on my sholders. They had yanked off the eyepatch Duke had given me, but regretted it when they saw my eye.

"Just keep your hair over the accursed thing." Gorg had told me. "If you weren't perfect in every other way I'd blow that scailly lizard sky high for selling you at such a high price." I had learned that he was only called captain because this was his ship, he wasn't a captain in an army as I had originally thought. He ran not only a... play house for the guards... but also a bunch of scams that, they assured me, I would come in very useful for pulling off successfully.

They had taken the clothes, and weapons, that Mallery had bought me and given me a new outfit. Not right away I will add. I now wore all lether. A tight skirt, a strip of black that just barely covered my chest, and lether boots that trailed all the way up past my knee. Not to mention the lovely metal collar they used to keep me 'in line' and to shock me when ever they wanted a laugh.

I had only been there a little more then an hour, but they had already done so much to me. It is amazing what you can do to a person in such a short amount of time. I layed down on the bench, head facing the cage so no guard could get a free sneak peak at me. I wished I had a blanket, but off course they wouldn't give me one. I started to drift, exhausted in everyway.

"Kathlene." a farmilar voice hissed at me. I jerked up and scrambled to the corner again, trying to hide myself behind my knees. "It's us. We're getting you out of here."

"Wildwing?" I said horsely. My voice was almost gone, not surprising concidering how long I screamed when I was with those... there is no word evil enough to discribe them, so I'll make one up, fudastards, that sounds lame, but it is the best I can do.

"Yes. Come to the gate so we can hear you better."

"Why should I trust you? You all lied to me, I don't belong with you."

"You don't belong here either." Mallery hissed.

"That wasn't us, Kat." Tanya said. "Chameleon said those things, not us."

"Yeah, girl, we'd never dis you like that." Nosedive added.

"We'd never dis you period." Wildwing corrected his younger brother's mistake.

"Why would we not want a 100, little friend?" Grin asked.

"You mean..." I stopped myself. Was I going to be foolish enough to fall for it again? _Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. _The voice in my head said slighly.

"Forget it!" I hissed at them. "I'm not going to get hurt again!"

There was a small curse, then a "gotcha", then the door opened. All five ducks ran into the cell, and right after Nosedive ran in, the gate closed again.

"Duke's out there controlling it." Wildwing explained in response to my puzzled look.

"Kat, we would never hurt you. Especially that way." Mallery said, wraping an arm around me. I shrunk away from her and she withdrew her arm.

"Guys, hurry it up in there." hissed Duke's voice as footsteps were heard down the passage way.

"Go." I said, pure terror in my voice. "If they catch you, they'll kill you. Or worse." I looked at Mallery and Tanya. "Go." Why was I worried about them? They betraid me, I should be hoping for them to get caught. But I couldn't bring myself to. I think some part of me knew they were telling the truth, but I wasn't willing to listen; to fall into false security again.

Duke opened the door and they left, Nosedive and Grin giving me one last beseeching look.

"We'll be back." Wildwing hissed as he was the last to leave. "We're not leaving you here." Then all of them were gone.

"Duke?" I whispered. I wanted, needed to hear him. He of all of them, his apology, his reasurence that I was wanted, that I belonged. But even he was gone, and again I was alone. Not for long however.

"1-K-4-7." a cold voice rang out. She just layed there. Duke watched as the guard raised a small remote and he heard a loud scream and the sound of electricity running through the girl he had come to view as a sister. He felt hands grab his arms, holding him back. He hadn't even been aware of moving. He looked around and Grin had grabbed him, Nosedive was holding onto Wildwing who looked like he too had made a movement to go and tear the guard to shreds. Grin couldn't say anything and risk the chance of the guard hearing him, but his expression was plain to read. _She's strong, she can handle it. _

But that didn't concern Duke. That bastard was hurting his 'sister' and he wasn't going to just sit back and let him do it, whether she could handle it a thousand times or not. The only thing that made him stop struggling was hearing her response.

"WHAT!" She had shouted it. _Not smart kid. _Duke thought, terror griping at his heart. And sure enough, the sound of that damned collar shocking Kathlene's system rang in his ears.

"You WILL show proper respect mutt or face the consequences!" the guard shouted.

"Yes." Kathlene's voice was just audible.

"Yes, what?" the guard barked.

"Yes, master." Kathlene said.

"Very good, we're learning fast, aren't we?" the guard sneared and pressed the botton for a third time just for the mere pleasure of it. Her cries echoed around the stone walls. Obviously he had uped the voltage. Duke was trembling in Grin's arms, the latter was now holding him up in the air and squeezing him to his chest to keep him from running at the guard. Mallery and Tanya were both holding onto Wildwing's sholders as Nosedive held his brother's arms in a lock behind his back. Tanya's face feathers were soked with silent tears, and Nosedive had his eyes tightly shut, turning his face away from the guard.

"Your sevices are required." the guard informed Kathlene, apparently done with his torture game. He opened the gate and went in. Seconds later he immerged, dragging Kathlene out by her hair. Duke stopped struggling again as he saw her. He had been afraid of seeing her before because he didn't think his nerves could've taken it. He was right, he almost fainted as he saw her in the horrible stripper outfit they had put her in, blood, both fresh and dried, plastered to her body, along with numerious welts. He felt his body go limp, and out of the corner of his eye, he just regestered Wildwing doing the same. In fact all the ducks seemed to have frozen in place, every molicule in them going numb and shaking. It had been dark in the cell, so none of them had gotten a real good look at her. Duke, who had seen other women in the hands of the Mulkers before, knew somewhat to how she would look, but actually seeing how much damage they had managed to do to her in the short time they had had her, and he knew that she had not just been cut and beaten, but she had been subject to more tramitizing abuse as well, abuse that leaves scars no one can see. He had murder in his heart now.

I struggled as the guard yanked on the hair at the top of my head. He simply hit the button again and I yelled as a painfull shock wave rattle every bone and nerve in my body. I was now shaking uncontrolably, sobbing.

"Silence!" he barked at me and I quieted a little. He dragged me into a room where Gorg sat, stuffing his discusting face.

"Here's the new canis (dog) you requested." the guard said.

"Excelent. You may take a small piece if you want, but make sure you don't over do it." Gorg said. "I need her functioning."

The guard had an evil smile as he yanked the black strip off and... well... I'd rather not say, but you can guess what he did. After a few minutes, he raised the black strip over his head. "You want this back? Jump."

I looked at Gorg. Surely he wouldn't let him do this to me. "You heard him, mutt. Jump!" Gorg snarled, taking a swig of whatever the hell he was drinking. I began to sob harder as I got to my unsteady feet and began, clumbsily, to jumb for my only cover.

Wildwing felt his pulse quicken as he saw, through a small window, what those monsters were making her do. Duke was crying angry tears as Grin carried him, afraid to let him go just yet. Nosedive looked transfixed, both stunned (keep in mind he is a teenager who can't control his body yet) and sickened. Tanya refused to look any longer then a few seconds, and Mallery was shaking as she kept her fists tightly clenched at her side, trying not to grab her gun and blast them all to smitherings.

"Duck!" Wildwing yelluped as the guard turned to the door. It was lucky he had his head turned, laughing at Kathlene who was trying desperately to pull the strip back on. The ducks all crowched low in the shadows as the guard came out of the door. Duke was calm enough now to use his saber to stop the thick wooden door from clossing all the way. They all carefully slipped into the room, un notticed by anyone. The guard was out of sight and ear shot, and Gorg was too wrapped up in talking to Kathlene to notice.

"I need you to charm your way into an orginization that is bent on destroying this very profitable buisness. Plus, they have something of mine that I really would like back, a jewled crown." he was saying. Duke froze momentarily, he remembered stealing a jewled crown three years previously for Gorg. Could it have been stolen from him? _Well if so, then it's true about what goes around comes around. _Duke thought bitterly.

"I hear your good at undercover work." Gorg was saying. "That's good. Don't let me down."

"What if I don't want... AAAAAHHHHH!" Kathlene hit the floor on her knees, clutching at the collar which was sparking.

"There is no 'I don't want'!" Shouted Gorg. "There is only 'Yes Master'! Do you understand mutt?"

"Ye-yes master." Kathlene coughed.

"Good." Gorg sighed. "Now, get up and fallow me. There's one last... service I need of you before you can go and rest up for tomarrow's mission."

He started walking towards me. I could hear his sluggish footsteps and knew what was comming. I sobbed as I tried to stand but found that I didn't have the strength. I heard him come closer and closer and braised myself for cold, slimmy hands to grip my hair again, but they didn't come.

"Take one more step towards her and this blade goes straight in."

I raised my head. Duke was there, behind Gorg, pointing his saber at the back of his head, I could just make out a small red light on his eye patch.

"Duke L'Orange." Gorg said as if he were saying hello to an old friend, but he stopped and I could sense that he had tensed. "I hear you're working for the good guys these days. Oh, and here they are."

I felt huge, warm arms gather around me and lift me up.

"It's okay, little friend." Grin's deep calming voice soothed me. I had no strength to push away or feel resentment towards him, or Duke, or any of them. Wildwing had said that they were going to get me out, and they had come back. I felt more tears coming, though whether they were tears of graditude or just plain happieness for finally realizing that there were beings I could trust, I didn't know. I burried my face in him and sobbed as he carried me out. Before we left the room, I heard Gorg say something about guards, and Duke replying, "If you're smart, which I know you are, you'll keep them at bay."

I heard footsteps behind us and got scared, but then relaxed as Mallery and Tanya's voices rang out in unison, "Boys! Come on!"

I heard Nosedive say something, Wildwing shout at Duke, the sound of blasters going off, and what sounded like two peaces of steal clanking against eachother, but it was all too much to take in. I felt myself sinking into darkness, try as I might to stay with the others. But eventually, I was overcome, and blacked out into oblivion.

**What happened? FINAL CHAPTER NEXT! don't forget to R&R! **


	9. Home

**Last chapter so you don't really need these... but here you are anyways... :D**

**Warnings and Headsup!**

**1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt! **

**2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise! **

**3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction. **

**4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise! **

**5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...**

**6) THE END NOW READ!**

Ch. 9: Home

"How's she doing?"

"She's still out, but they said she'll live."

"She is stronger then most of us."

"Yeah, I don't think I could've gone through what she did and still have the strength to talk back like that."

"Is she going back to her home world?"

"No."

All their voices merged together and I could only make sense of a little of what was being said.

"How long has Duke been asleep?"

"About an hour. I asked if he wanted me to take his spot but he's dead on determined to be here when she wakes up."

"We should at least move him into the chair."

"He said he wants her to able to see him the moment she wakes."

"Yes, but still..."

I had managed to remember how to twitch my hand. They all fell silent, I could feel pairs of eyes looking at me. I tried moving my head, opening my eyes, talking. All took me several tries. I finally managed to open my left eye half way. _Why just my left eye? _I wondered. The first thing I saw was a grey faced duck, head on the side of the bed I was laying in, bill slightly opened, a little drool coming out. I could feel it seep into the sheets.

"D-Duke?" I was so happy I could croak out his name. He jerked awake as suddenly as if I had splashed cold water on his face.

"Kathlene!" he yelped. He examined me closely. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been... better." I said thickly. "What happened?"

"Later." Wildwing said, stepping into view. "You need rest."

"I thought I was resting." I said. "Or was that me on vacation?"

"No, that was you out cold, for two days." Nosedive said. I turned my head to look at him. He was standing by the door.

"Where am I?" I couldn't make sense of anything.

"The hospital." Mallery said. She was on my other side, sitting on my bed. "Everyone's fine. And you're safe."

"And, Dragonis doesn't have control of the world." Tanya said brightly.

"But the..."

"I kinda blew them to bits." Nosedive said a little proudly.

"Try blew them to dust." Tanya snapped at him.

"Hey I said I was sorry." Nosedive shot back.

"You could've blown us all up!" she retorted.

"Hey, you two. Knock it off." snapped Wildwing.

I tried to say something else, but my tonge was getting heavier.

"Whers... Grin...?" I managed.

"He went to get a nurse." Wildwing said. "We were to alert someone when you woke up. They said you would be a little incoherent for a while, from the medication."

I got scared. "No!" I managed to shout out weakly. "No, no med, no..." I couldn't get anymore out.

"Kat, it's okay. It's helping you. It's making it so you don't feel any pain." Duke said calmly, stroking my hair. "It's okay, we're here. We wont let them give you any more then is necessary." he smiled.

I nodded, my eyelid getting really heavy. I needed to tell him something. Or was it Wildwing. Or maybe Mallery? But I couldn't think.

"She's awake?" an unformilar female voice asked.

"I don't know. She was, about two seconds ago."

"She's drifting again. That's normal for people on morphine. She will be comming in and out for a while. Let me or one of the other nurses know if she wakes up again."

Wildwing nodded to the nurse who walked away. "Duke." he said, approaching his friend who was staring at Kat's calm, pale face. "She'll be alright. But you wont be if you don't go back to The Pond and get some proper sleep. You've been here for over 18 hours. Let someone else take the watch."

Duke seemed relugtant. He needed to be here to tell her that he too was sorry and give her his reasurence that she was needed. But he concented when Wildwing put pressure on his sholders and started leading him out of the room. Duke didn't look away until they were passed her room and he could no longer see her through the window.

"Duke." Wildwing said. "You're not... falling in love with her? Are you?" he sounded a tad curious.

"Of corse not." Duke said wearily. "She's like a younger sister to me. I can't explain it, but we've got similar pasts, similar scars. We are the only one in the entire cosmos who truly knows what the other has been through."

"You know that's not true. You just haven't found any others yet. But you two are not one of a kind." Wildwing said. He wasn't trying to put either one of them down, he was just simply stating a fact.

"Yeah, well..." Duke cleared his throat. "What made you ask?"

"I wanted to make sure you knew that she doesn't seem to _be in love _with anyone on the team. I just wanted to keep you from getting too... attached." he replied, choosing his words carefully.

"I'm not blind Wildwing. I know that." Duke said a little sharply. "Hang on a minute, I need some coffee." he started heading to the cafe but Wildwing stopped him.

"No. You need to get to bed."

A few days later and Duke was sitting in the living room, running a piece of cloth absentmindly over his sword. He wanted to be at the hospital but Wildwing again had made him go back to The Pond and get some rest. He had spent another 22 hours with her after he had recharged from his first post duty. She was getting better. Waking up long enough to carry on a five minute conversation without loosing focuss. She even started eating solid food about an hour before he was kicked out, although they were still going to keep her on a feeding tube because she was unable to hold it down.

As more time passed, she progressed to where she was sitting up. Then she was walking. Then she was yelling to be released. She argued with the doctors and nurses constantly on the subject.

"I can eat, walk, take care of myself." she told them. "I don't need to be in here anymore."

"Can you go longer then an hour without loosing focuss?" one of the doctors asked for the unteenth time. Unfortunately her hour of carrying on the argument was almost up and you could see that her eye had glazed over.

"Presicely my point." the doctor sniffed as he walked out.

"He can be a little more polite about it." said Tanya irritably to Grin as she watched him leave. "I mean he would loose focuss like that too if he had 15 volts of electricity frying his brain."

The fact that Kathlene had even survived that much was a mirical. Especially sinced that was the amount that they had hit her with about four times, making that a total of 60. And that wasn't counting the smaller volts she had gotten before the ones the ducks had whitnessed.

I stirred. Wildwing and Mallery were there. "Hey, wasn't Grin and Tanya here?" I asked.

"They left about two, three hours ago." Wildwing informed me. "You blacked out again. We were actually wondering if we were going to get to talk to you today. Duke and Nosedive should be here in about five to ten minutes."

"Oh." my face fell. "I'm sorry guys. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Don't beat yourself up." Mallery told me fermly. "You had lord knows how many volts running through your body. You probably were charged enough to light up The Pond."

I nodded. That led me to a whole new train of thought though.

"Wildwing, you've yet to explain." I told him, looking right at his unmasked face. (Everytime they came to visit me they were in theire 'casual' clothes)

Wildwing tensed up. "You don't really need to know."

"Tell me."

He sighed. "Grin had you. You had passed out. We had all the guards on our tail feathers." he explained. "Tanya and Mallery were guarding Grin, trying to get him back to the teleportation device. We, Nosedive, Duke and I were holding off the other guards. Actually, it was just Nosedive and myself. Duke was locked in a fight with Gorg. None of us had ever seen him fight like that before. Soon, both sides, us and the guards had stopped firing at each other and just watched them fight. Gorg, though he might not look it, is one of the top notch swordsmen in the cosmos. It's lucky that Duke was better them him. It looked like Gorg was going to win for a moment, but then Duke kinda snapped."

"Sounds like he had already snapped." I cut across him.

Wildwing gave a small smile and nodded slightly. "Yeah, but, he went even more off the deep end if that was possible. He held his sword steady, stopped blocking and thrusting altogether. He waited for the moment when Gorg moved his hand a certain way, then in one swift movement, Duke disarmed him, flung him to the ground, and..." but I held up my hand to stop him. I knew what Duke had done. He had used the disarming move I had used on him. The move that disarms and kills at the same time.

"We were just able to get away after that." Wildwing continued, obviously aware that I put two and two together. "All the guards were after us after Duke performed his most finest dule ever."

"How did you get out of Dragonis's ship?" I asked.

"We didn't have to go back there." Wildwing said. "We zapped you right here and then, as you were in sergery, and Duke, Nosedive and Grin stayed behind to be here when you got out; Tanya, Mallery and I went to find Phil. Apparently after we left, Dragonis got so disgusted that he litteraly threw Phil out. Apart from a broken arm and shattered nerves, he'll live."

Duke and Nosedive came in right when I was laughing.

"What's that sound?" Nosedive asked teasingly. I looked at him and after thinking about it, I really hadn't truly laughed infront of him, or the others for that matter, before.

"Sorry." I said, blushing.

"For what?" Duke asked, comming over and giving me a hug.

"I... don't know." I replied, wrapping my arm around his neck and squeezing back.

"Well, I'd say you're fine to come home anytime you want." Mallery said. Apparently she figured if I started appologizing for no reason, I was back to normal.

"Try telling that to the thick skulled, arogent, morons." I said, refering to the doctors.

Wildwing and Mallery laughed softly as they got up to say goodbye.

Duke watched the other two ducks leave as he and Nosedive sat in the two seats where Wildwing and Mallery had just vacated.

"Actually, Nosedive do you mind letting me talk to Kat alone for a minute. I'll come and get you when I'm done." Duke said, striking up nerve.

Nosedive, who had the latest eddition of his favorite comic under his arm, looked puzzled but shrugged and headed for the door. "Don't you kids get too crazy while I'm gone." he said, then laughed as he walked out of the door. Duke could've hit him. But then he figured he'd just put worms in his shoes later. Kinda give the kid a taste of his own medicine.

"He's so imature." Kat said. Duke nodded.

"Yeah, he is." he said outloud remembering that she probably couldn't see him clearly. He glanced at his watch nerviously. He didn't know how long she had been talking with the others before he and Nosedive had come in, and he didn't know how much longer she could keep her concentration. He wanted to get what he wanted to say out before she blacked out again.

"Kat." he began.

"Yes."

"When we rescued you. I didn't say a word to try and comfort you or get you to see reason or anything."

"I know."

"I wanted to say I was sorry for that and say what I would've said then, now."

"Okay."

"First off, I'm sorry I didn't join the others. I was beyond furious that Dragonis had sent you to the Mulkers. Working for them a few times in the past I knew what a dangerous, sick, twisted race they were. I didn't want to sound unconvincing when I spoke to you." he took a deep breathe. She looked at him, her face twisted as if as she was trying to keep back tears.

"I wanted to tell you that I would, nor am, nor ever WILL tell you to go back to the place where you were neglected, abused, ignored, exiled. I want you to know that I, we, want and need you here with us. You fit in perfectly here, and plus, I think Mallery and Tanya are happy that there's another girl." he smiled.

She didn't respond at first, and he wondered if she had heard the last part of his monolouge. "Well." he said. "At least I told you, and I hope that some of what I said got through."

All I could do was sit there. I didn't black out again, or at least I don't think I did. Duke's words just seemed to take a moment to sink in, and when they did, I felt love and effection for him, and the team, well up inside me. I swung my legs out of my bed and stumbled towards him. He immideately got up and cought me as I fell forward. I looked up at him, my hands resting on his sholders.

"Duke, thank you." I had to think for a moment before my own words regestered to me. I looked up at the duck who I had gotten closest to. He was like an older brother in the way he was always worring over me, protecting me, listening to me and understanding perfectly everything I'd been through. Though probably not the most recent abuse I'd undergone.

"Your welcome." he replied. He helped me sit back onto my bed.

"Here, I brought you something." he reached into the inside pocket of his one peace suit and brought out something small and black.

I took the eyepatch from him, smiling wide. As I unraveled the strap I realized that he had also handed me a hair twisty that I had not previously seen. I took it and tied my hair back before putting the patch on.

"I wish I could get out of here." I said after he had gone and fetched Nosedive.

"We know." Nosedive said. "I can go and try to persuay the docs for ya if you want me too."

I smiled. "No, that's alright. But thank you."

It had been a month since they had rescued Kathlene from the Mulkers and Wildwing was releaved to hear, at last, she was comming home. She still spaced out temperarily, but the time in which she did so was a lot shorter and far between episodes. He smiled to himself as Nosedive ran passed him yelling at him to hurry up. He, Wildwing, and Duke were going to go get her while the others, including Phil, finished putting up the party decerations.

After they left, Tanya cursed loudly. She was trying to hang the "Welcome Home Kat" banner and she had slammed her thumb between the nail and hammer.

"Pain is just an illution." Grin told her as he walked by, carrying a few presents that he had bought Kat, over to the gift's table.

"I'll show you an illusion." she muttered and he smirked.

"Well, I think that's all." Mallery said. "PHIL!"

Phil jumped. He had tried to sneak a piece of the cake that Nosedive and Tanya had picked up from the store earlier that day.

"What?" he said innocently, but stepped back from the table.

"I'm fine, Wildwing, honest." I said as he put a hand out to steady me. My balance was extremely off, I flinched whenever something electic gave off a spark, I was constantly reminding myself that no one was my _master, _and I refused to whear anything but jeans and courter sleves or long sleved shirts (doubled layered if possible). But other then that I was okay. I couldn't even remember the last time I had lost focuss, and I was actually walking a little more straighter then I did a half hour ago. Needless to say my hair was tied back and I had Duke's eyepatch.

The doctors had told me that I still needed to get plenty of rest, don't over do anything, and they told the team that under NO cercumstances was I to be out in the field until I stopped having black outs all together. But I didn't want to hear all that. All I wanted to do was get back to The Pond and maybe skate around a little. But the doctors told me that if they cought wind of me doing that before they gave me permision, they'd drag my butt back to the hospital and keep in intensive care for another month.

When I stepped out of the elevator, I gasped. The first thing I saw was a banner with letters on it that was big enough for me to read. "WELCOME HOME KAT!" I couldn't stop it, I broke down. I'm such a cry baby. I stared at the word, HOME. After thinking about it, this place had felt more like home to me then any place in my old world had ever done. They all seemed to understand. I got a lot of pats on the back and hugs from Duke and Tanya, and even a few from Mallery, Nosedive, and one from Wildwing.

"Come on Grinster. Your turn." Nosedive said grinning.

Grin came up to me, and gentiler then you'd expect from a guy his size to manage, he gave me a quick hug. It was clear though that he was scared of hurting me, and actually I was quite glad for his hesitation. Just the few hugs I had recieved were making my head swim. But then of course they all got Phil to give me one to.

"Glad you're feeling better." he told me. "Now, if you could just let me know when the docs'll let you do your regular stuff... You know how much we could make with a blind warrior celebrety?"

"NO PHIL!" All the ducks said in unison. Phil looked slightly crest fallen, but didn't argue. I chuckled weakly. Even though the idea of being used for _anything_ gave me the urge to run to my room (Wildwing said I could have his room and he'd stay with Nosedive) and plaster layers of blankets on me, I knew deep down that Phil meant no harm by it. He was just an anoying, greedy, movey loving, slightly insensitive air head who you couldn't help but love.

"We got you gifts!" Nosedive announced as if he was a little kid who wanted to show his parents the card he had made at school. I was overwhelmed when I saw a stack of wrapped packages on the kitchen table.

"You guys..." I started but Mallery cut across me.

"We're officially welcoming you in, even Phil, and we wanted to get you them so don't even try to feel guilty cause that's just gonna make me hit you."

I swallowed the rest of my sentence and smiled. "Thank you." As I sat at the table, unwrapping gifts, expressing my delight and graditude, for real because I now knew that I could trust them all to be there for me; to be my friends; I felt happier then I had ever felt in my life. And something hit me that was so unexpected, I almost didn't regester what it was. _You are worth something. Let the past go. Those people didn't hurt you because you weren't worth anything, they did it because they couldn't see your worth. But these guys do, hold on to them. Move forward. _And it was true, I concluded, that no matter where you were in the cosmos, you were worth something to someone, somewhere.

"Hey Wildwing." I said as we sat around eating the chocolate cake that Phil had tried to steal a peice of earlier.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Heroes. They exist." That just seemed to hit me also. After thinking about it... the ducks, Duke, Grin, Mallery, Wildwing, Nosedive, and Tanya... they were all heroes. They kept their word, and they saved me. They don't have any special abilities, but that's what made them even more heroic.

"And you are one of them." he said.


End file.
